450 SUMMARY OF CUKRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 



spirilla from them was not observed. This, notwithstanding the re- 

 semblance, shows that the appearances are not to be regarded as true 

 branching. 



Organisms of Nitrification.* — A. Stutzer has recently gone over by 

 himself experiments with the organisms of nitrification, and his present 

 views are almost identical with those of Winogradsky. A few years ago 

 he published certain researches,! the results of which were at variance 

 with those of the Russian observer, who expressed the opinion J that 

 Stutzer's results were due to errors of manipulation. 



Bacteriology of Normal Organs. § — Dr. W. W. Ford maintains that 

 at least 70 p.c. of the organs of our ordinary domesticated animals con- 

 tain bacteria which are capable of development provided a sufficient time 

 be allowed to elapse between the removal of the organs and their final 

 examination. Eabbits, guinea-pigs, dogs, and cats were killed in con- 

 ditions of fasting and of full digestion. Cultivations were made in 

 various media with pieces of kidney and liver. Each organ, each 

 animal, and each species, was found to exhibit its own peculiar bacterio- 

 logical features regardless of the methods of sterilisation and preserva- 

 tion. In rabbits and guinea-pigs the most prominent were Staphylo- 

 coccus albus, S. aureus, B. mesentericus, B. proteus ; while in dogs and 

 cats B. mycoides, B. megaterium, and B. Zopfii were present. 



The difference between the author's results and those of former 

 observers is accounted for by the length of time allowed between the 

 excision of the organs and the bacteriological decision, the author's 

 interim being much longer, and varying from 6-17 days. The records 

 of previous observers were taken at the end of 2-3 days. Their results 

 were negative, and these observations were confirmed by the author, who 

 also obtained sterile cultures for the first few days. 



New Urea-Bacteria. |] — In the course of investigations on the de- 

 composition of urea by urease, and by the process of katabolism, Prof. 

 M. W. Beijerinck met with three microbes which are engaged in the 

 preparatory stages of the decomposition. These are Urobacillus 

 Miquelii, Urobacillus Leubii. and Planosarcina ureas. 



Urobacillus Miquelii is a motile rodlet with a few peritrichous 

 flagella. It does not form spores. It liquefies gelatin and decomposes 

 urea. It is phylogenetically connected with B. Zopfii and B. asteroides. 



Urobacillus Leubii is a rodlet 3-5 /x long and about 1 • 5 /j. broad. It 

 forms oval spores from 0*8— 1 /x in length, which are extremely resistant 

 to heat and chloroform. It is motile, and possesses peritrichous flagella, 

 which are stained with some difficulty. U. Leubii produces two kinds of 

 colony, one yellowish, cloudy, and containing spores, the other more 

 transparent and spore-free. It decomposes urea and does not liquefy 

 gelatin. 



Planosarcina urese produces yellowish non-liquefying colonies in 

 gelatin. The colonies in solid and fluid media consist of packets of 

 4-8 or more cells, which are covered with flagella, and are extremely 



* Centralbl. Bakt., 2 te Abt., vii. (1901) pp. 168-78. 



+ Cf. this Journal, 1896, p. 105. J Of. this Journal, 1896, p. 664:. 



§ Journ. Hygiene, i. (1901) pp. 277-84. 



|| Centralbl. Bakt., 2" Abt., vii. (1901) pp. 47-54 (3 figs.). 



